Lets see if that causes a problem. I've been inactive for a very long time now (like 10+ years), so, I don't expect to hear anything from it, but my parents are worried I'll get DF. Lets see what happens.
StephaneLaliberte
JoinedPosts by StephaneLaliberte
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39
I've done it: Christmas Lights Outside
by StephaneLaliberte inlets see if that causes a problem.
i've been inactive for a very long time now (like 10+ years), so, i don't expect to hear anything from it, but my parents are worried i'll get df.
lets see what happens.
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I need to vent sorry!
by KerryKing ini couldn't get back to sleep last night, something my father said a few weeks ago popped into my head.. we were talking about obtaining citizenship, he doesn't need it, but was contemplating what benefits it could get him now he's a pensioner.. background : i've been disfellowhipped for 15 years, i was born in, he is an elder, very much pimi, he was also born in.. i said to him how citizenship would be difficult for him as it would require him to swear allegiance to the state?.
oh he said, thats just a crowd of people together in a big room for the swearing in event, it would be easy to just mumble or say nothing, nobody would know.. this has quietly been eating away in my mind, why did it bother me?.
last night it hit me, when i was in my first year of school, age 5, i came out of school one day with a balloon with two little pencils attached, a gift from a classmate who's birthday it was, every child got one.
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StephaneLaliberte
Like the people that went to jail for refusing any military or civil service and then all of a sudden it is okay to do non-combat military service,
I remember meeting one of these brothers. I recall that he was a ministerial servant and pioneer. I couldn’t help but wonder how he felt about that change. What made it worse was the fact that this change was introduced as a minor adjustment, and they never apologized for it. Meanwhile, some brothers went to jail for 1 or 2 years, for nothing!
That was one of those little things in my long list of grievances which ultimately led me out of the JWs.
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I need to vent sorry!
by KerryKing ini couldn't get back to sleep last night, something my father said a few weeks ago popped into my head.. we were talking about obtaining citizenship, he doesn't need it, but was contemplating what benefits it could get him now he's a pensioner.. background : i've been disfellowhipped for 15 years, i was born in, he is an elder, very much pimi, he was also born in.. i said to him how citizenship would be difficult for him as it would require him to swear allegiance to the state?.
oh he said, thats just a crowd of people together in a big room for the swearing in event, it would be easy to just mumble or say nothing, nobody would know.. this has quietly been eating away in my mind, why did it bother me?.
last night it hit me, when i was in my first year of school, age 5, i came out of school one day with a balloon with two little pencils attached, a gift from a classmate who's birthday it was, every child got one.
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StephaneLaliberte
Your feeling of betrayal is understandable given everything you've explained. However, there's one thing you left out: time.
A lot of time has passed since your youth. You no longer hold the same religious views as you did back then. It's safe to assume that your dad's views have also changed, though perhaps not as drastically. This likely includes his views on the citizenship ceremony. Today, there are options that were once to be avoided at all costs. But you, your dad, and even his religion have changed.
So why the feeling of betrayal? Perhaps it's because your dad hasn't admitted to you that he was wrong back then and that his views have since evolve?
I don't know about you, but I don't believe I suffered significantly from not celebrating many holidays and other things. What made it an excruciating experience for me however were those who bullied me, including adults! I was constantly ridiculed, hit, spat upon, and my things were vandalized — all because I wouldn't celebrate Christmas, date girls, or stand up for the national anthem. Today, even though I celebrate those holidays and sing the national anthem at hockey games, none of that changes the fact that those kids and adults who bullied me were absolutely reprehensible, far more than my religion and my parents who raised me in it.
Today, I look ahead and don't spend much time thinking about who did what wrong and how long. You're parents are probably getting older and if they still talk to you despite being disfellowshipped, you know what? Take it as a blessing. People don't have to ask for forgiveness for you to "get over" things they've done. Just see your parents as flawed individuals who, despite all their flaws, still love you and always did.
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Prepare to get Pelted by Symbolic Hailstones
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/idhmflud3p4?si=9xc4svrhxslduwvz.
so david schafer a member of the teaching commitee and a helper to the governing body has come out yesterday with a new video that goes through the king of the north, the hailstones message and other things in the wake of the possibility of a ww3 and especially now that tensions are escalating with russia so he is making quite a few end time arguments and i will be expanding on those one by one but today let's see what he has about the hailstones message of the end(video) so this is the paragraph in question, paragraph 14 from article 20 of the watchtower 2020 study edition: "sometime after the start of the great tribulation, “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” will form a coalition of nations.
(rev.
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StephaneLaliberte
When text is long and not well formatted, I do this: ChatGPT, please give me a resume, in one paragraph, of the text above.
Answer:
David Schafer, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses' Teaching Committee, recently released a video discussing the "hailstones message" mentioned in Revelation 16:21, tying it to escalating global tensions and potential End Times events. The Watchtower's interpretation suggests these hailstones are symbolic of Jehovah’s Witnesses delivering a bold judgment message that could provoke global opposition. However, critics argue that the Bible’s consistent depiction of hailstones as literal—supported by detailed descriptions in Revelation and historical precedent in Exodus and Joshua—contradicts this metaphorical view. The notion that Jehovah’s Witnesses, known for their passive ministry, could deliver such a provocative message seems implausible, raising questions about the alignment of this interpretation with scripture and reality. -
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It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)
by Simon inuh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.
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StephaneLaliberte
Wow, he sounds like the speech elders were making at all of my congregations throughout my 35 years in the JWs.
"We don't want to make such talk, but you need to give more money cause we're in the red here!"
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Netflix Live Boxing Event
by moomanchu inwhen i was in the org it seemed most brothers were very much into football and other sports.
which looking back makes no sense and makes me wonder why?
it felt like an overcompensating to be masculine.. shouldn't football be deemed unchristian?
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StephaneLaliberte
While I was tempted to say that the Tyson/Jake Paul fight was scripted, I changed my mind when I heard Tyson say the following at the end of the match:
"Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25 lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won."
Even if he exaggerated a bit, this is likely the real reason why he was half the speed he was 9 months ago, before he got sick. And as for him not trying to throw punches in the last few rounds, simple: He missed Jake a few times and probably realized he wasn't fast enough. So, he got real defensive.
And I don't buy the idea that it was scripted for the simple fact that it was a sanctioned fight. Hence, illegal to fix it. Hence, even if Tyson had signed an NDA and spilled the beans later, he wouldn't lose a dime as the NDA would be unenforceable. There would be way too much to loose for the promoters and Jake Paul if something like that came out.
People say its fix cause we all wanted to see Rocky Balboa 6 come to life. But life isn't a movie, even if we sometime see it unfold, live, on TV.
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StephaneLaliberte
Aside from this image not making sense, are we supposed to see something else?
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JW WOMAN VOLUNTEER CRUSHED BY A WALL AT A KINGDOM HALL PROJECT
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/1skm8riz7qc?si=ww3ej9orl_91db4w.
the construction of a new jehovah’s witnesses kingdom hall in cybinka, poland, has once again shed light on the watchtower organization’s relentless drive to expand its real estate empire on the backs of unpaid, vulnerable volunteers.
every day, around 40 jehovah’s witnesses show up at the construction site, some traveling long distances, not for pay or proper protection, but to fulfill a sense of “spiritual duty” instilled by the organization.
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StephaneLaliberte
Honestly, I could go on and on about things I dislike about Jehovah's Witnesses, but forcing people into construction work? I don’t think so.
A better angle might be the fact that many Kingdom Halls, once built, were later sold, with the proceeds from the sale not staying within the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses. That is truly reprehensible.
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JW WOMAN VOLUNTEER CRUSHED BY A WALL AT A KINGDOM HALL PROJECT
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/1skm8riz7qc?si=ww3ej9orl_91db4w.
the construction of a new jehovah’s witnesses kingdom hall in cybinka, poland, has once again shed light on the watchtower organization’s relentless drive to expand its real estate empire on the backs of unpaid, vulnerable volunteers.
every day, around 40 jehovah’s witnesses show up at the construction site, some traveling long distances, not for pay or proper protection, but to fulfill a sense of “spiritual duty” instilled by the organization.
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StephaneLaliberte
these volunteers are driven by a mixture of fear and obligation. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses know that refusing to volunteer could result in social ostracism, or worse, a mark against their standing in the congregation.
I believe in personal accountability, and this situation is a good example of that. I’ve never seen anyone forced to do something they felt was unsafe. In fact, I’ve seen the opposite: people sometimes take unsafe actions even after others have advised them not to!
Regarding the lack of insurance coverage, everyone is aware of this beforehand. Is it right? I say: Why not? Are you insured when you hike a mountain or go downhill skiing? Heck, even riding your bike without a helmet? People make a lot of choices in life fully aware of the risks involved.
On the idea of people being "forced" to help with Kingdom Hall construction—well, technically, it might be true to some extent. After all, how would it look if you didn’t assist with building your own Kingdom Hall? But honestly, from my personal experience and observations, these projects are some of the most joyful experiences, especially when it comes to your own Kingdom Hall! Everyone takes pride in sharing which part they helped create. "I worked on the roof, I helped with these walls, I did these tiles," and so on. Yes, it’s hard work, but honestly, it feels more like a big party with lots of friends.
As for construction projects at other locations—such as Bethel or other Kingdom Halls—participation is entirely a personal choice. Like others have mentioned, JWs have plenty of construction workers among their ranks. Sometimes, it’s even competitive and serves as a form of promotion for their business! I’ve even seen one brother bring his own crew to a construction site to handle the interlock entrance of an assembly hall. The quality of that work was so high that it’s still in perfect condition 30 years later.
The point is this: While many JWs may feel pressured to shun close ones, refuse blood transfusions, avoid higher education, or, sadly, even keep silent about certain issues, "feeling forced" when it comes to construction is new to me.
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WT brags about suing indigenous peoples and winning!
by Slidin Fast ini know we get a bit cynical and hard boiled about the exploits of wt inc. but this takes the biscuit.
apparently these ecuadorian indigenous people objected to being targeted by the sect.
so wt inc rode in and guess what?
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StephaneLaliberte
The OP brings up Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in something that has nothing to do with it. But from what I am reading, the Jehovah's Witnesses won another court battle to safeguard their right to build a kingdom hall and preach to their neighbors. Forgive me for asking, but what's the problem here?
I believe in freedom of speech (that includes preaching your none sense) and freedom of religion (that includes building your assembly hall, church, mosque, whatever). So, I don't see any problem here at all.In fact, good for them! Winning this court battle protects the freedoms of everyone else in that country!